Blacklamp Carbon watch sports NASA-developed "Moonglow"

The Blacklamp Carbon watch produced by the UK-based Schofield Watch Company lights up in two different, and rather unusual, ways. This goes some way to explaining, but probably cannot justify, the asking price of £9,900 (US$16,000).

On the surface, the Blacklamp Carbon is a classic black wristwatch requiring manual winding. But this ignores the new materials used to make this watch unique. It is forged from a proprietary material called Morta, described as a “special matrix of carbon fiber, hand-laid and formed into small billets.” A single billet of the material is used for each watch, making every single one slightly different than the others.

The lighting comes in two forms: a Tritium gas light sits in the crown of the watch, while a ring of Moonglow material sits around the rim of the dial. The Tritium gas light is self-powered and continuously emits a low-level glow that is invisible during the day but a constant presence during the night. The Moonglow is a luminous material developed by NASA that is able to emit light for much longer than the star stickers used to create virtual constellations on the ceilings of kid's rooms around the world.

The Blacklamp Carbon is a limited edition timepiece with just 101 available to buy. Still, with such a hefty price tag they're unlikely to sell out fast.

Dave is a technology journalist with a ravenous appetite for gadgets, gizmos, and gubbins. He's based in the U.K., and from his center of operations writes about all facets of modern and future technology. He has learned more in his five years writing for the Web than he did in 11 years at school, and with none of the boring subjects thrown in to the mix. All articles by Dave Parrack